Did you know that I love comic-book movies? If you've been reading my stuff for a while then you might have noticed a trend with how I talk about these, and tend to inject a little bit of knowledge of the source material into my reviews or thoughts on a trailer. That said, because of that knowledge, I may often be slightly more critical of the writing of a character who is begin dated to the big screen. For the most part I can be accepting even if the adaption isn't a perfect copy from the comics but it is the performance given in the movie that I am more concerned about. It is a performance as much as the writing which can give the characters the heart and soul they are imbued with in the comics, and there have been a number of great performances across the years in this genre. Thinking about those, I decided to count down the top 10 best performances actors have given in a comic book movie. There are some basic criteria which I'll be following here as well. First off, I'm including any performance given in a movie which is based on a comic book. Baring in mind that there are comics and graphic novels outside of Marvel and DC, there will be a few performances on here outside of those studios. Secondly, and finally, the movie in question must be cinematically released. That therefore excludes any animated movies, and (unfortunately) any TV shows or Netflix series. Therefore, I can't include Stephen Amell from TV's Arrow, or Krysten Ritter or David Tennant from Marvel's excellent Jessica Jones. With that out of the way, let's jump into the list!
10 - Karl Urban as Judge Dredd (Dredd)
Remember how one minute ago I said this wasn't just going to be Marvel and DC movies? Well, let's just jump in with the most recent adaption of the Judge Dredd series, which came out in 2012 with Karl Urban in the lead role. Safe to say, it was a substantial improvement over Sylvester Stallone's effort featuring Rob Schneider in 1995, and that was in large part down to Urban's work as Dredd. Less like a caricature and more gritty, Urban takes a more faithful approach to his turn as the character, crafting a troubled and dark mentor figure. It's a supremely enjoyable performance, but is only so admirable in that it takes what could have been such a simple, one-note character into a three-dimensional human being. It's a difficult task but Urban undertakes it with confidence and passes with flying colours, and it is that skill on Urban's part that makes this one of the best performances ever to grace a comic-book movie.
09 - Hugo Weaving as V (V For Vendetta)
08 - Chloë Grace Moretz as Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass)
Kick-Ass is a fairly unconventional superhero movie to say the least, and I wouldn't hold it against someone if they didn't class it as one at all. Regardless, it is based on a comic-book and I can therefore hold it on this list. It was a pretty close race between two actors to be honest with you as a reader. Nicolas Cage does brilliant work in this movie as Batman lookalike Big Daddy, and it was one of the actor's best performances in years. That said, he simply doesn't match the work done by Chloë Grace Moretz in the film as teenage assassin Hit-Girl. It's an insane role for an actress of her age at the time to tackle, but she does so superbly. She carries out action sequences excellently, somehow making everything her character accomplishes to an extent believable, intimidating, and, above all (and most importantly) extremely enjoyable to watch. Not only that, but she is excellent at carrying both the roles of Hit-Girl and her schoolgirl alternate persona Mindy. The balance she strikes between the two is extremely fun to watch, and her internal conflict between how she can continue to live both her lives is an engaging one throughout both movies in the franchise. She is simply one of the most enjoyable actors to watch across the series, and her character actions alone make her stand as one of the most memorable comic-book characters ever to be translated to the big screen.
07 - Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Guardians of the Galaxy)
The Guardians of the Galaxy were one of the biggest surprises of the MCU since their introduction in late 2014, becoming the second band of misfits Marvel has introduced into their universe. The heart and soul of the team is Peter Quill, who you may know as Star-Lord though he mostly just calls himself that. Chris Pratt plays the perfect intergalactic cowboy, perfectly coming across as the 80s kid torn from his world and dumped into a whole wide universe of aliens, scavengers, and insane dictators determined to find an all-powerful ancient artefact which will let him destroy entire planets. Pratt has the perfect comic timing to carry off the character's quips and charms, while he is also helped in large part by his natural chemistry with the rest of the cast. Strutting though the cosmos with his natural swagger and a wink of an eye, Pratt is the perfect actor to bring the natural coolness that comes hand in hand with the character of Star-Lord. As a reader of comics, it's rare that you ever see a character almost leap from the pages to the screen. Normally that's not something that bothers me, as changes are possible and sometimes they are necessary to work. That said, Pratt is the perfect embodiment of the character of Star-Lord, and it's difficult to see the role being cast and played any better than it has been done here.
06 - Colin Firth as Harry Hart (Kingsman: The Secret Service)
Another comic-book movie you might not have known was based on one, some might consider this a cheat of an entry since Harry Hart was not actually a character from the book. That said, this is my list. The movie is based on a comic and I'm not judging how faithful an adaption this is, so let's talk about Colin Firth's brilliant performance as Harry, now one of the best British secret agents to grace cinema. The big surprise with Firth was in his skill in knocking out the action sequences the movie demanded, but he excelled at the choreography and making the action look incredibly realistic, a key factor in keeping audience immersion. Not only that but Firth has the charm and charisma on screen to become what most would regard as the definitive idea of a British spy, suave and sophisticated with a real air of Sean Connery's James Bond about him. His interactions with the villains of the film are particularly enjoyable, rolling out puns consistently, and his status as a mentor figure is equally enjoyable and engaging. In short, it's a truly brilliant performance that stands as one of the true highlights of the spy genre and indeed the comic-book movie genre in recent years.
05 - Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool (Deadpool)
Right, obviously I'm talking about X-Men Origins: Wolverine's Deadpool here. Because that was dreadful. Unspeakably so. Offensively so even. But Deadpool as he appears in 2016's Deadpool solo movie, played once again by Ryan Reynolds? Near perfection. Reynolds is the perfect Wade Wilson and is the embodiment of the Merc With A Mouth as he appears in the comics. He has all of the humour and comic timing necessary to create the ideal version of the character I could only have dreamed of (especially after the aforementioned nightmare), and is able to execute all of the action sequences perfectly and work through the costume and make-up that he is burdened with throughout most of the movie. It's a difficult task to inject emotion into a character who is mostly quips and jokes but Reynolds also manages to do this, making the character somewhat more human than he is in the comics, where he prefers to sit around, eating chimichangas, dying, and then having sex with Lady Death to bribe her into bringing him back to life when he rarely does die. Making the character more human is something which is certainly necessary for a live-action movie, and managing to accomplish this, along with retaining all of the key traits from the comics, that makes Reynolds' performance so impressive and enjoyable to watch.
04 - Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man (All Appearances)
You knew this one was coming, because how could I ever leave it out as a self-respecting movie and comic-book fan? Robert Downey Jr., since first starring in the original Iron Man in 2008, has become the definitive version of Tony Stark AKA Iron Man, and is now almost universally regarded as irreplaceable in the role, and for good reason. Having seen this character develop since the earliest days of the MCU, Downey Jr. has continually excelled at displaying the cockiness and genius of Tony Stark, but has somehow remained, despite his often nasty nature early in the universe, entirely liable throughout. That's almost certainly down to Downey Jr.'s charisma and charm that he brings to the role, and it is what makes the character so enjoyable to watch. Always with a joke on hand despite the situation to disarm the audience despite the often colossal stakes, it is Tony Stark who has remained the centre tentpole of the MCU since the very beginning and it will be a sad day when that era comes to an end, likely following the end of Avengers 4 in 2019. That said, with everything he has brought not only to the role, but also to the universe, he will leave behind an incredible legacy, undoubtedly to be remembered for years to come.
03 - Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine (X-Men - Logan)
This is another predictable entry, but one which certainly deserves a place on this list all the same. 17 years ago, the world was introduced to High Jackman's performance as Logan AKA The Wolverine. Although at that time a relative unknown, it was immediately clear that Jackman was perfect for the part, brilliantly conveying the rage and brutal ferocity the character is renowned for, as well as the tragic emotion buried deep within that adamantium skeleton. No matter how bad the movie (looking at you Origins), Jackman continued to give the role his all up until his climactic appearance in this year's Logan. This is hands down the most faithful adaptation of a comic book character that I have seen in movies, and will likely continue to be regarded as such for years to come. It's a ferocious and brilliantly raw performance, and the character's success on the silver screen is likely down, in large part, to Jackman's attitude, skill and complete understanding of everything that the character stands for in the original source material.
02 - Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach (Watchmen)
"Dog carcass lay in an alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. This city is afraid of me. I have seen it's true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood and when the drain finally scab over, the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about heir waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout 'Save us' ...and I'll look down, and whisper 'no'."
That speech alone gave me good reason to put Jackie Earle Haley's incredible turn as Rorschach in 2008's Watchmen on this list. As the first real dialogue in the movie, it perfectly sets the tone for what's to come in the rest of the movie, a dark and often unsettling movie, particularly when it comes to this character. It's a movie with it's problems to be sure, but Rorschach is a constantly engaging presence. Haley injects the character with a real ferocity, a determination to carry what what he deems necessary to wipe out and drown the "vermin" infesting this alternate version of New York City. Equally he also sells the emotional backstory of the character, making the motivation of the character believable and to an extent sympathise with him regardless of his actions. That said, you're not in this movie for the emotion, it's the action, and Rorschach is Ben Affleck's Batman if he went even further off of the edge. It's a fantastic and brutal performance, and without Haley's intensity and clear attention to detail, it would be safe to say that Rorschach would not be as memorable as he turned out.
01 - Heath Ledger as The Joker (The Dark Knight)
What other performance was going to take the number 1 spot? I wouldn't be surprised if you predicted this coming into the article, before even clicking on it you probably knew this was coming. The only performance in a comic-book movie to win an Oscar, the sadly late Heath Ledger's turn as The Joker as become legendary and has played a substantial role in forging who this character is now in the comics. Most comic movie villains are given some motivation, some sympathetic reason to understand their character, I've mentioned it enough with regard to all of the heroes and villains on this list. What makes The Joker so brilliant is that he doesn't have any of this, he is simply the embodiment of anarchy and chaos, a force of nature, and nothing more than pure evil incarnate. What makes Ledger so brilliant in this role is that not only does he perfectly convey the madness but at the same time genius nature of the character, but also crafts him into an interesting and constantly complex character. Did we ever find out exactly how he got his scars? Questions like these, and Joker's constantly changing stories keep us wondering if he is telling the truth, while his actions keep us questioning if he is even human. It deserves to win an Oscar, and it will go down in history as the definitive version of this character.
No comments:
Post a Comment